Characterizing midwifery

This is a textbook written for all midwives.
Midwives worldwide have a primary focus
on pregnancy and birth in all types of settings.
International concern for safe motherhood
and the health and well-being of women builds on
this core of midwifery. In the United States, the
practice of midwifery encompasses the health care
of women from puberty through senescence and
from normal to high-risk, and the collaborative
care of the medically or obstetrically complicated.
To be with and provide care to women in all settings
requires an extensive and in-depth knowledge
base and skill competency.

This book considers the broad range of support given to mothers including social, psychological and clinical. It also looks at the provision of this service and how different models have been set up internationally to fulfill this important function. It brings together the latest research findings, which examine the nature of care that is provided and consider what constitutes effective and efficient support.
This aspect of care is considered a crucial part of the increasing and expanding role of the midwife.

Study Skills cover all those abilities that make it possible to cope with the demands
of academic and professional pursuits. For people just embarking on a course of
study they include being able to deal with all the intellectual, emotional and
social challenges that are part of the day-to-day demands of being a student.
Beyond the skills involved in coping are those that enable students to do well in
their chosen disciplines.

Originally, it was planned that there would be equal numbers of males and females and an equal
number of students from the four faculties with the highest percentage of NESB students. However, as
noted above, the opportunity to sit a free IELTS Test proved to be much more attractive to some
students from some faculties than to others. There was no interest from students enrolled in the
Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, and a great deal of interest from students enrolled in the
Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health.